The 2019 Florida Statutes

(1) The Department of Law Enforcement shall disseminate criminal justice information only in accordance with federal and state laws, regulations, and rules.

(2) Criminal justice information derived from federal criminal justice information systems or criminal justice information systems of other states shall not be disseminated in a manner inconsistent with the rules instituted by the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact, as approved and ratified in s. 943.0543, or with other applicable laws or rules.

(3)(a) Criminal history information relating to an adult, compiled by the Criminal Justice Information Program from intrastate sources shall be available on a priority basis to criminal justice agencies for criminal justice purposes free of charge. After providing the program with all known personal identifying information, persons in the private sector and noncriminal justice agencies may be provided criminal history information upon tender of fees as established in this subsection and in the manner prescribed by rule of the Department of Law Enforcement.

(b)1. Criminal history information relating to a juvenile compiled by the Criminal Justice Information Program from intrastate sources shall be released as provided in this section. Such information is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution, unless such juvenile has been:

a. Taken into custody by a law enforcement officer for a violation of law which, if committed by an adult, would be a felony;

b. Charged with a violation of law which, if committed by an adult, would be a felony;

c. Found to have committed an offense which, if committed by an adult, would be a felony; or

d. Transferred to adult court pursuant to part X of chapter 985,

and provided the criminal history record has not been expunged or sealed under any law applicable to such record.

2. This paragraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2021, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

(c)1. Criminal history information relating to juveniles, including criminal history information consisting in whole or in part of information that is confidential and exempt under paragraph (b), shall be available to:

a. A criminal justice agency for criminal justice purposes on a priority basis and free of charge;

b. The person to whom the record relates, or his or her attorney;

c. The parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the person to whom the record relates, provided such person has not reached the age of majority, been emancipated by a court, or been legally married; or

d. An agency or entity specified in s. 943.0585(6) or s. 943.059(6), for the purposes specified therein, and to any person within such agency or entity who has direct responsibility for employment, access authorization, or licensure decisions.

2. After providing the program with all known personal identifying information, the criminal history information relating to a juvenile which is not confidential and exempt under this subsection may be released to the private sector and noncriminal justice agencies not specified in s. 943.0585(6) or s. 943.059(6) in the same manner as provided in paragraph (a). Criminal history information relating to a juvenile which is not confidential and exempt under this subsection is the entire criminal history information relating to a juvenile who satisfies any of the criteria listed in sub-subparagraphs (b)1.a.-d., except for any portion of such juvenile’s criminal history record which has been expunged or sealed under any law applicable to such record.

3. All criminal history information relating to juveniles, other than that provided to criminal justice agencies for criminal justice purposes, shall be provided upon tender of fees as established in this subsection and in the manner prescribed by rule of the Department of Law Enforcement.

(d) The fee for access to criminal history information by the private sector or a noncriminal justice agency shall be assessed without regard to the size or category of criminal history record information requested.

(e) The fee per record for criminal history information provided pursuant to this subsection and s. 943.0542 is $24 per name submitted, except that the fee for the guardian ad litem program and vendors of the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and the Department of Elderly Affairs shall be $8 for each name submitted; the fee for a state criminal history provided for application processing as required by law to be performed by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall be $15 for each name submitted; and the fee for requests under s. 943.0542, which implements the National Child Protection Act, shall be $18 for each volunteer name submitted. The state offices of the Public Defender shall not be assessed a fee for Florida criminal history information or wanted person information.

(4) Criminal justice information provided by the Department of Law Enforcement shall be used only for the purpose stated in the request.

(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 943.0525, and any user agreements adopted pursuant thereto, and notwithstanding the confidentiality of sealed records as provided for in s. 943.059, the department shall make online access to Florida criminal justice information available to each judge in the state courts system for the purpose of assisting judges in their case-related decisionmaking responsibilities. Such online access shall be provided without charge to the state courts system. Sealed records received by the courts under this section remain confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1). The information provided pursuant to this section shall not take the place of any information required to be provided to the courts by any other agency or entity. Information provided under this section shall be used only for the official court business for which it was requested and may not be further disseminated.

(6) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department shall provide to the Department of Revenue access to Florida criminal history records that are not exempt from disclosure under chapter 119, and to such information as may be lawfully available from other states via the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, for the purpose of locating subjects who owe or potentially owe support, as defined in s. 409.2554, or to whom such obligation is owed pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. Such information may be provided to child support enforcement authorities in other states for these specific purposes.

(7) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department shall provide to each office of the public defender online access to criminal records of this state which are not exempt from disclosure under chapter 119 or confidential under law. Such access shall be used solely in support of the duties of a public defender as provided in s. 27.51 or of any attorney specially assigned as authorized in s. 27.53 in the representation of any person who is determined indigent as provided in s. 27.52. The costs of establishing and maintaining such online access shall be borne by the office to which the access has been provided.

(8) Notwithstanding s. 943.0525, and any user agreements adopted pursuant thereto, and notwithstanding the confidentiality of sealed records as provided for in s. 943.059 and juvenile records as provided for in paragraph (3)(b), the sheriff of any county that has contracted with a private entity to operate a county detention facility pursuant to s. 951.062 shall provide that private entity, in a timely manner, copies of the Florida criminal history records for its inmates. The sheriff may assess a charge for the Florida criminal history records pursuant to chapter 119. Sealed records and confidential juvenile records received by the private entity under this section remain confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1).

(9) Notwithstanding s. 943.0525, and any user agreements adopted pursuant thereto, and notwithstanding the confidentiality of sealed records as provided for in s. 943.059 and juvenile records as provided for in paragraph (3)(b), the Department of Corrections shall provide, in a timely manner, copies of the Florida criminal history records for inmates housed in a private state correctional facility to the private entity under contract to operate the facility pursuant to s. 944.105. The department may assess a charge for the Florida criminal history records pursuant to chapter 119. Sealed records and confidential juvenile records received by the private entity under this section remain confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1).

(10) Notwithstanding s. 943.0525 and any user agreements adopted pursuant thereto, and notwithstanding the confidentiality of sealed records as provided for in s. 943.059 or of juvenile records as provided for in paragraph (3)(b), the Department of Juvenile Justice or any other state or local criminal justice agency may provide copies of the Florida criminal history records for juvenile offenders currently or formerly detained or housed in a contracted juvenile assessment center or detention facility or serviced in a contracted treatment program and for employees or other individuals who will have access to these facilities, only to the entity under direct contract with the Department of Juvenile Justice to operate these facilities or programs pursuant to s. 985.688. The criminal justice agency providing such data may assess a charge for the Florida criminal history records pursuant to chapter 119. Sealed records and confidential juvenile records received by the private entity under this section remain confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1). Information provided under this section shall be used only for the criminal justice purpose for which it was requested and may not be further disseminated.

(11) A criminal justice agency that is authorized under federal rules or law to conduct a criminal history background check on an agency employee who is not certified by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission under s. 943.12 may submit to the department the fingerprints of the noncertified employee to obtain state and national criminal history information. The fingerprints shall be retained and entered in the statewide automated biometric identification system authorized by s. 943.05 and shall be available for all purposes and uses authorized for arrest fingerprint submissions entered in the statewide automated biometric identification system pursuant to s. 943.051. The department shall search all arrest fingerprint submissions received pursuant to s. 943.051 against the fingerprints retained in the statewide automated biometric identification system pursuant to this section. In addition to all purposes and uses authorized for arrest fingerprint submissions for which submitted fingerprints may be used, any arrest record that is identified with the retained employee fingerprints must be reported to the submitting employing agency.

(12) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when a criminal history check or a duty to disclose the absence of a criminal history check is mandated by state law, or when a privilege or benefit is conferred by state law in return for exercising an option of conducting a criminal history check, the referenced criminal history check, whether it is an initial or renewal check, shall include a Florida criminal history provided by the department as set forth in this section. Such Florida criminal history information may be provided by a private vendor only if that information is directly obtained from the department for each request. When a national criminal history check is required or authorized by state law, the national criminal history check shall be submitted by and through the department in the manner established by the department for such checks, unless otherwise required by federal law. The fee for criminal history information as established by state law or, in the case of national checks, by the Federal Government, shall be borne by the person or entity submitting the request, or as provided by law. Criminal history information provided by any other governmental entity of this state or any private entity shall not be substituted for criminal history information provided by the department when the criminal history check or a duty to disclose the absence of a criminal history check is required by statute or is made a condition of a privilege or benefit by law. When fingerprints are required or permitted to be used as a basis for identification in conducting such a criminal history check, the fingerprints must be taken by a law enforcement agency employee, a government agency employee, a qualified electronic fingerprint service provider, or a private employer. Fingerprints taken by the subject of the criminal history check may not be accepted or used for the purpose of identification in conducting the criminal history check.

(13)(a) For the department to accept an electronic fingerprint submission from:

1. A private vendor engaged in the business of providing electronic fingerprint submission; or

2. A private entity or public agency that submits the fingerprints of its own employees, volunteers, contractors, associates, or applicants for the purpose of conducting a required or permitted criminal history background check,

the vendor, entity, or agency submitting the fingerprints must enter into an agreement with the department that, at a minimum, obligates the vendor, entity, or agency to comply with certain specified standards to ensure that all persons having direct or indirect responsibility for verifying identification, taking fingerprints, and electronically submitting fingerprints are qualified to do so and will ensure the integrity and security of all personal information gathered from the persons whose fingerprints are submitted.

(b) Such standards shall include, but need not be limited to, requiring that:

1. All persons responsible for taking fingerprints and collecting personal identifying information from the persons being fingerprinted to meet current written state and federal guidelines for identity verification and for recording legible fingerprints;

2. The department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s technical standards for the electronic submission of fingerprints are satisfied;

3. The fingerprint images electronically submitted satisfy the department’s and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s quality standards; and

4. A person may not take his or her own fingerprints for submission to the department.

(c) The requirement for entering into an agreement with the department for this purpose does not apply to criminal justice agencies.

(d) The agreement with the department must require the vendor, entity, or agency to collect from the person or entity on whose behalf the fingerprints are submitted the fees prescribed by state and federal law for processing the fingerprints for a criminal history check. The agreement must provide that such fees be timely remitted to the department by a payment mechanism approved by the department. If requested by the vendor, entity, or agency, and with the approval of the department, such fees may be timely remitted to the department by a vendor, entity, or agency upon receipt of an invoice for such fees from the department. Failure of a vendor, entity, or agency to pay the amount due on a timely basis or as invoiced by the department may result in the refusal by the department to accept future fingerprint submissions until all fees due and owing are paid.

(14) Notwithstanding any other law, the department shall provide to the Sexually Violent Predator Program within the Department of Children and Families online access to the arrest notification program through the Florida Criminal Justice Network to be used solely in support of the duties of the Department of Children and Families as provided in s. 394.926(4).